UAE denies Qatari allegations of airspace violation

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied having violated Qatar’s airspace last month after Doha lodged a complaint to this effect with the UN Security Council.

“The Qatari complaint regarding the UAE’s alleged violation of its airspace is both inaccurate and perplexing,” Anwar Qarqash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, tweeted.

“We are currently working on responding to the claims by citing evidence,” Qarqash added, describing the complaint as an “unjustified escalation”.

The Doha-based Al Jazeera television channel reported Friday that Qatar’s UN representative had lodged a complaint with the UNSC in which it claimed that a UAE fighter jet had violated Qatar’s sovereign airspace.

In the complaint, submitted to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Qatari UN Representative Alya Ahmed Al Thani said the alleged violation was a “breach of international law”.

The complaint also stated that Qatar would take “all measures necessary” -- in line with international law -- to protect its airspace, borders and national security.

According to the official Qatar News Agency, the alleged violation occurred on Dec. 21 of last year.

For the last seven months, Qatar and the UAE have been on opposite sides of an ongoing political dispute involving several Arab states.

Last summer, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain all abruptly severed ties with Qatar, which they accused of supporting terrorist groups in the region.

Qatar vehemently denies the allegations, describing the attempts to isolate it as a violation of both international law and its national sovereignty.